Job spain



(No Model.)

J.- SPAIN. FOLDING CRATE.

No. 449,007. Patented Mar. Z4, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J OB SPAIN, OF BELLE CENTREpOl-IIO, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-IIALF TO CHARLESMAINS, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,007, dated March24, 1891.

Application filed December 30, 1890. Serial No, 376,227. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, .I OB SPAIN, of Belle Centre, in the county of Loganand State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Chicken Coop andCrate, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of chicken' coops andcrates in which fowls of various kinds are kept and transported alive;and the object of my invention is to produce a light and airy butst-rong and durable chicken coop and crate which may be easily arrangedto receive the fowls, and which when empty may be folded into a verysmall compass, so that it may be conveniently and cheaply transported.

To this end my invention consists ina coop and crate `constructedsubstantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is tobe had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a perspective view of the coop and crate in a position toreceive fowls. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same.Fig. is a side elevation of the crate in a folded position; and Fig. 4is a vertical cross-section on the line 4 et of Fig. 2, looking in thedirection of the arrow;

The crate is provided with a oor A, which is adapted to rest flatwise onany suitable support, and on the upper side of the floor near each edgeis a sill B, the outer sides of the sills being flush with the outeredges of the floor, and the sills are cut away on their outer and uppersurfaces, as shown at h, so that when the side strips C are secured tothe edges of the floor a recess will be formed between the side stripsand the upper portions of the sill in which the rods D may swing.

The side strips C are of the same height as the sills and oor combined,and the strips serve to prevent the displacement of the rods D. The rodsD have their ends bent into a horizontal position, as shown at d, so asto enter suitable perforations in the sills B, and the rods then extendupwardly and are bent twice at a right angle, as shown at d', and therods thus form the sides and top of the coop and crate, the rods beingplaced such a distance apart that a small fowl cannot pass between them.'lhe upper cornerplates E of the crate are mounted on the upper portionsof the rods D, and the cornerplates correspond in length to the lengthof the sills B and align vertically with the sills, so that when theyare folded down, as shown in Fig. 3, they will rest upon the tops of thesills. The corner-plates consist each of two strips notched to receivethe rods D and held together by screws.

The corner-plates are held a desired distance apart by means of thecross-strips E', which are secured to the upper sides thereof. Thecorner-plates are mounted loosely on the rods D, and the lower ends ofthe rods turn loosely on the sills B, so that when the crate is to beclosed the rods will turn in their bearings and the corner-plates E andsills B may be easily brought together. One end of the coop and crate isclosed by a slotted end board F, which is pivoted to one of the rods Dby the links f, and which is also secured to a cleat a ou the oor A bysuitable staples f', so that when the crate is folded the end board mayswing and lie flatwise, or nearly ilatwise, on the floor of the crate.At the opposite end of the crate is a door G, which is also slotted, andwhich is secured to one of the rods B by the links g, so that it mayswing freely on the rod, and the lower edge of the door has a suitablewire fastening g', which extends downward through the fioor and is heldby a lead seal g2, which may be easily broken, but this manner offastening the door is not material and any suitable fastening may beused. On opposite sides of the crate are rods H, the lower ends of whichare pivoted to the side strips O and the free ends of which terminate inhooks 7L, the hooks being adapted to engage eyes 71, on the outer sidesof the corner-plates E. It will thus be seen that when the corner-platesand sills are to be held apart, so that fowls may be inserted andtransported in the crate, the rods H are hooked into;` the eyes 71,',and the crate will be heldin such a manner that it cannot fold together,and when the crate is emptied and it is desired to fold it the rods areunhooked from the eyes, and by pushing endwise 0n IOO the crate-top thecornenplates and rods D will swing and the plates will lie Iiatwise uponthe sills B, as shown in FiO. 3.

From the foregoingdescription itwillbe seen that the coop and crate isvery simple in construction, and that it may almost instantly be foldedtogether or placed in a position to receive fowls.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patentl. A coop and crate comprising a iloor, a seriesof rods pivoted thereon and shaped to form the sides and top of thecrate, cornerplates uniting the rods at their upper portions, and asuitable end board and door, snb stantially as described.

2. A coop and crate c'omprisinfa)` a floor having sills on oppositesides thereof, a series of rods pivoted to the sills and shaped to formthe sides and top of the crate, corner-plates mounted on the upperportions of the rods, and a suitable end board and door secured to theend rods and floor, substantially asdcscribed.

8. A coop and crate comprising a floor, a series of rods pivoted thereonand shaped to form the sides and top of the crate, cornerplates mountedon the upper portions of the rods, a suitable end board and door for thecrate, and means for holding,r the rods and corner-plates in an elevatedposition, substantially as described.

4. A coop and crate comprising a floor, a series ot' rods pivotedthereon and shaped to form the sides and top of the crate, cornerplatesmounted on the upper portions of the rods and connected together, asshown, an end board pivoted on one lof the rods and suitably secured tothe floor, a door pivoted on a rod at the opposite end of the crate, anda hook and eye for holding the top of the crate in a raised position,substantially as described.

5. In a coop and crate, the combination, with the oor, the sills, andthe pivoted rods connecting the sills with the crate-top, the sillsbeing recessed, as described, of the side strips secured to the floorand sills, substantially as described.

' JOB SPAIN. lVitnesses:

GEO. Il. CLINE,

JOHN R. HAMILTON.

